


At The Lake

by Dojh167



Series: Polyverse [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: HPFT, F/F, Flashback, One Shot, Romance, Wedding, the second task
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-07-12 14:40:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7109599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dojh167/pseuds/Dojh167
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  </p><div><em>
      <p>Could true beauty really exist without true horror?</p>
    </em></div>
  <br/>
<p></p>
            </blockquote>





	At The Lake

**Author's Note:**

> Banner by .amaris@TDA  
>   
>  _Originally posted on HPFF on 6/3/15. Written for Chazzie's Ship It! Challenge and the Every Word Counts Challenge_  
> 

Gabrielle’s long silky dress blew whimsically in the wind, its hem whipping at her bare feet as they nestled in the grass. Beside her the playful ripples of the lake reflected back a faint echo of her appearance. Even without looking down at the water, Gabrielle couldn’t help but think back to her first day at this lake, the day when everything had first changed.  
__  
Gabrielle was soaking wet, chilled to the bone. The blanket they had dropped over her shoulders did nothing to combat the shivering caused by the lake’s water and her tears. Harsh noises rang out all around her, shouts and cheers in a jumbled mixture of languages that bombarded her like cruel laughter, making sport of her trial. People rushed past her in all directions, giants blind to her suffering.  
  
All eyes were fixed in Gabrielle’s direction. She blushed under their attention, but it made no difference. Nothing could alter the overwhelming joy she felt today as she gazed at the woman in front of her.  
  
_“Are you okay?” Gabrielle jumped as the gentle voice floated down from behind her. Somebody had spoken to her. Somebody saw, somebody cared._  
  
Gabrielle could feel the excited tension in her chest mounting with every breath. It was almost impossible to stand here, so still and dignified, when every inch of her wanted to run, to scream, to jump. _“Are you okay?_ ” the eyes across from her seemed to whisper. Yes. Yes she was.  
  
_The first thing that Gabrielle noticed were the dark green Hogwarts robes that the girl wore. Gabrielle drew back instinctively, distrusting of these English students. But as her eyes adjusted to the sight of the girl who knelt in front of her, Gabrielle couldn’t help but relax. There was a familiar beauty in her eyes, her face, her hair. Gabrielle was reminded of the uncanny pale beauty of her veela relatives, but she saw none of their ferocious danger disguised in this girl’s loveliness. Could true beauty really exist without true horror?_  
  
After all of these years, Gabrielle knew beyond a doubt what she had suspected as a child. This was the most beautiful woman in all the world. Of all the women and men who had ever tried to court her, none ever had a chance of winning her heart. The lakeside was now filled with people dressed to extravagant excess – humans, veela, and more past suitors than she could count. But Gabrielle had never looked at any of them twice after she had seen true beauty.  
  
_Gabrielle was still crying, still hurt, still frightened. But now there was somebody with her who cared._  
  
“Do you, Daphne Greengrass, take Gabrielle Delacour as your lawfully wedded wife, for as long as you both shall live?”  
  
_Gabrielle’s entire body shook as she looked imploringly up at the girl, eyes widening with horror as she spoke the unbearable truth, “She left me.”_  
  
Daphne slid the golden ring onto Gabrielle’s cold finger. “I will never leave you,” she vowed.


End file.
